Category Archives: Updates

March 16 and 24 events

On Saturday 16 March we will be taking part in the Pipe Band Extravaganza on Napier’s Sound Shell.  Starting at 1.15 the programme is as follows
1:20pm                 Napier Pipe Band #1
1:30pm                 Hawke’s Bay Caledonian PB – Set
1:45pm                 Lindisfarne College PB – Set
1:50pm                 Napier Pipe Band #2
2:00pm                 Hawke’s Bay Caledonian PB – Medley
2:10pm                 Lindisfarne College PB – Medley
2:20pm                 Napier Pipe Band #3
2:30pm                 Napier Boys High School PB – Set
2:40pm                 Lindisfarne College PB – Juvenile Event
2:50pm                 Napier Boys High School PB – Juvenile Event
3:00pm                 Massed Bands (Green Hills&Battle is O’er and other tunes)

On Sunday 24 we will be staging our first Piping & Drumming Live event at the Napier RSA (start time 4pm).  The tunes we will play include (but this may change)
Part 1
On the Road to Passchendaele (3/4)
Swing of the Kilt
The Bathgate Highland Gathering, Heather Grant of Strathrye, The Battle of the Somme (9/8)
The Dawning of the Day; La Boum  (4/4)
The Leaving of Liverpool, Kelly The Boy From Killanne, No Awa Tae Bide Awa, Minstrel Boy, Will Ye No Come Back (4/4)
Jigs:  Paddy’s Leather Breeches, The Banjo Breakdown (6/8)
Items
Love Song for Deborah Anne
A Song for April
Part 2
Nurse Edith Cavell (with the learners)
Hundred Pipers, Bonnie Dundee (6/8)
Teribus, Chorriechollies
Mhari’s Wedding, Heyken’s Serenade
Amazing Grace
Drum Salute

Art Deco Weekend

The Band is involved in a number of Art Deco activities over the weekend of 16-19 February.  These include:
Thursday night ball: Ken and Jim
Friday night depression dinner:  Kerry, Ray, Finn, Sam
Saturday 18th: the Band meets at 10.30am to prepare for:
– playing at the St Paul’s fete at 11am, and then
– parading in Emerson St for the vintage car parade at lunch time
Saturday night depression dinner:  Cameron, Julie, Hugh
Sunday morning Vintage Car Club breakfast (Meeanee) 10am

The music we will play on the march includes:
Scotland the Brave bracket
Green Hills bracket
Loch Lomond bracket
Mhari’s Wedding/High Road to Gairloch
Teribus/Chorriechollies

End of Year Event

Over many years our end of year event has been a very enjoyable occasion and we’ve had good but declining attendance by supporters. The ‘rules’ are being updated so that the evening becomes a more formal event. Band members will be organised into groups and it will then be up to the group to organise practices and to do their own arrangement of the tunes(s). Remember:
* everyone takes part;
* no solo performances;
* items must include pipes (except for one drums only item) and be musical, but can include other instruments;
* there will be a pre-approved programme;
* there will be no additions to the programme on the night ie no walk ups;
* no tune is to be repeated ie played in more than one item;
* there can be only one drums only (drum salute?) item.
Tunes not on the list such as Amazing Grace, Flower of Scotland and Highland Cathedral are reserved for the band to play. This will make the event a better showcase of our talents and the variety of music we can play, and a more enjoyable end of year event.

Updates 7 8 and 9

It has been good to see everyone at recent practices. We are covering a number of aspects of our playing including the tempos we are likely to need for upcoming Anzac Day and Navy Charter parades and will in the near future be revising a number of tunes including The Battle of the Somme.

Thursday night we are meeting at the Haumoana Hall at 6.30 to play for the community’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Dress uniform to be worn.

There will be no practice on Easter Monday (28th) but don’t forget that later in that week there are the EIT Graduation Parades on Thursday (31st) and Friday (1st).

I mentioned that in April (15/16) the RNZPBA’s Foundation Youth Band will be in Napier for their practice, staying at Kennedy Park, visiting local schools and using our band rooms for practices. Everyone is invited to come along to the practices and there will be a social event on the Saturday evening to which we are invited.

Updates 4 5 and 6

What is to be said about Art Deco weekend? The band did a superb job and you should all feel pleased with what you achieved. Thanks to Kurt, Ken, Robert, Richard, Hugh, Penny1 and Cameron for playing at various events. Our participation in the vintage car parade continues to be a highlight for the very big crowds that watch it. I hope you have all received positive feedback from people who enjoyed our music. Thanks also to the team that turned out Sunday morning for the Vintage Car Club’s event at Meeanee. From St Paul’s “A very big THANK YOU to the band from our stall on Saturday. It certainly is a highlight when the band arrives with lovely music. The weather and heat was lovely for all but the band in their uniforms but the crowd certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves. I heard lovely comments about the band concert in the afternoon.”

On Saturday 27th we met at the Sound Shell in the vicinity of the colonnade to tune up for our free concert. The Band then played at 12noon featuring a programme of tunes reflective of our heritage plus some new compositions. Many family and friends were there along with our supporters and others. Well done everyone it was a good venue (although it was a bit hot). The Sound Shell has good acoustics so perhaps we can play there again.

Coming up we’ve got the Taradale RSA Concert – Monday 7 March – band to meet at 6.30 as usual to prepare

Some preliminary information about the Navy Charter Parade Saturday 19 March. The venue is Sound Shell, by Veronica Bell. We’ll meet at 1015 to tune. The official ceremony is at 1100 and is followed by the march down Emerson St to Clive Sq with officers and ships company

Sound Shell Concert: Its Mission Concert so we might get a few extra people watching us.

Update number 3

Monday 1 February already.  We had an enjoyable evening with the youngsters practicing together at 6.30 and then the rest of the band from 7pm.  Being able to play out on the park on nice evenings is special.

  • Well done Robert and Angus who played at Turakina – Robert gained 2nd in the veterans event
  • We thanked all those who worked on tidying up the band rooms over the break – its looking good so we need to take care of this wonderful asset
  • We ran through some of the tunes for the Art Deco concert – the tunes will be the focus of practice for the next two weeks.  Harry has given everyone some flyers to hand out to family and friends and will have more available next week.

 

Update Number 2

First practice Jan 2016
First practice Jan 2016

It was good to get started again last night even if it was a bit hot.  Thanks Betty for organising supper.  We’ve been invited to Dave Nicholson’s on Saturday afternoon.  Two important dates for you to note on your calendar – Art Deco weekend (Sat and Sunday events this year) and our concert at the Sound Shell on Saturday 27 February – the opportunity to use the Sound Shell arose and so we will be playing at 12noon to entertain the public.  We’re hoping for a big audience as that’s the day of the Mission Concert.  Betty recently distributed the first Band Blurb of the year – Don W does a great job producing this but I know he’s always looking for articles to include so please share interesting items with him.

Update January 2016

Welcome back to the new year for the band.

Just confirming that due to EIT’s operational requirements we will be at the Band Rooms at Nelson Park for the next two weeks (Mon 1st and 8th Feb).

Two important dates for you to note on your calendar – Art Deco weekend (Sat and Sunday events this year) and our concert at the Sound Shell on Saturday 27 February – the opportunity to use the Sound Shell arose and so we will be playing at 12noon to entertain the public. We’re hoping for a big audience as that’s the day of the Mission Concert.

Don’t forget that you can get a list of upcoming parades and events on the calendar link on this website, meanwhile our first practice is on Monday 25 January at EIT.

Update 46

Photos from recent parades (Final Night at EIT, Tremains street parade in Taradale and the Hastings Ingleside) have been posted in the band’s website and also on facebook.  We just managed to beat the rain on Wednesday night – thanks for the big turnout at both events

Hastings Scots Society Ingleside Sat 19 Dec
Hastings Scots Society Ingleside Sat 19 Dec

The final activity for 2015 is New Year’s Eve: by now you should have let Harry know if you are coming (this includes pipers and drummers).   We will meet at 6.15pm at HBRC, Dalton St, to tune up before we depart for our usual celebrations.  If you want to blow the Christmas pudding out of your pipes or get the chocolate off the drum sticks prior to this, come down to the band rooms on Monday 28th at 10.30 to make some music.

Update 45

On Saturday the band’s contest group participated in the Square Day competition at Palmerston North. While the result (7th) wasn’t what we were aiming for the band is on a learning curve with regard to competition and it was a good first performance for us. Congratulations to Heath who was third in the novice event and well done Morgan and Cameron for taking part in the solos. Thanks to Penny and Gray for playing at the Napier Ingleside on Saturday night.

Last night’s Final Night was another very enjoyable evening with many good items. I hope that you all enjoyed this winding up for the year. We presented certificates to the All Stars (the youngsters & learners) who have come a long way this year and we hope will make a bigger contribution to the band next year. We presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Betty, our very able and dedicated, Secretary/Treasurer for all her hard work in keeping the band’s affairs in order.

The Napier Caledonian Society Cups for Most Improved/Involved youngsters were presented to Morgan and Jonathon while the Band’s cups for playing member contributions were presented to Bruce and Michael.